


Roommate

by fuckthenaysayers



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Ghosts, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-07
Updated: 2013-11-07
Packaged: 2017-12-31 18:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1034898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuckthenaysayers/pseuds/fuckthenaysayers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Alright, hallucination or not can you just sit down because wow, floating people are kind of a distraction."<br/>Ray was a bit surprised at the outburst, but he did as he was told, floating over and sitting on the couch with Joel, seemingly more than happy to sit and watch TV with him. As they sat together, both were surprised at how comfortable it felt, both making little quips and comments here and there and laughing at the other. Joel felt a little embarrassed, still mostly sure Ray was a hallucination, but he wouldn’t deny the company, at least for now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ray was dead. But that was okay. He’d come to terms with it, a long time ago. To be specific, Ray had been dead for a little over ten years. And in that time he’d done little exploring. He just stayed in the tiny apartment on the tenth floor of a NYC high rise, sometimes checking out his neighbors, but for the most part he just chilled out. Nothing better to do after all.

After some time though, a new tenant finally moved in. Apartments weren’t cheap in New York, so the landlord had been having a hell of a time trying to get someone new. He’d tried a few people but they all left as soon as they could, blaming a ghostly figure for scaring them out. Ray was simply trying to coexist with them but it didn’t go too well.

Maybe the new tenant would work better. Ray watched eagerly as the door opened and along with the landlord was a man who looked to be in his thirties. With black hair and a goatee, a tall nicely built frame, he was every bit Ray’s type. Or at least, he would be if Ray was still alive to flirt. Through what he heard from the conversation between the new man and the landlord Ray found out that he was an actor. And more importantly, his name was Joel.

It went well for a while, Joel seemed to not notice a single thing about Ray, though to be fair he was more often out of the apartment than he was there. It was almost a month in before Joel realized he wasn’t living alone. Things were particularly stressful for him, as he actively followed the economy and how stocks were doing, and at the moment almost everything seemed to be on the downfall. His stocks were doing badly and being the sort of person he was, Joel dwelled on it until he got into an almost frenzy of panic over it, constantly on edge.

He had been studying the charts on his computer for the umpteenth time, Ray floating by and peeking over his shoulder at the graphs and charts.

"I don't get it. Why work yourself up over stuff out of your control?"

"Just because it's out of my control doesn't mean I shouldn't worry, this is directly connected to the future of our country!"

Both paused for a moment, realizing a bit after the fact that they just had an exchange. Joel turned his head, locking eyes with Ray who happened to be floating just by his shoulder still. He stared for a minute before turning away and sighing dejectedly.

"Fabulous. Guess I'll have to talk to the doctor about this too next time."

"Doctor? Wait, you can see me now?"

"I'm not seeing anything. I'm talking to myself. You aren't real."

Joel had dismissed the other as a hallucination instantly, much to Ray's annoyance. The ghost floated up and over, his somewhat translucent head blocking the laptop from Joel's view. 

"Hey, I'm real, asshole! I'm just a ghost."

The man leaned back, eyeing Ray strangely and rolling his eyes a bit.

"Oh yeah, because you being a ghost is much more realistic than you being a hallucination brought on by my constant stress and panic attacks. Of course you're a ghost. Makes perfect sense."

He got up and trudged over to his bed, flopping onto it with a tired sigh. Ray didn't feel like arguing anymore and let him fall asleep in peace, their first proper meeting ending so shortly.

\---

The next time Joel saw him was a few weeks later, after a particularly bad day of auditions. Things had been pretty shitty, and his stress was slowly bubbling up inside him once again. He was cooking himself dinner, unwilling to waste money on take out yet again. Something simple, spaghetti and a fresh loaf of Italian bread he bought from a bakery on his way home. Nothing could go wrong with that, right?

As if he cursed himself just by thinking that, Joel nicked his thumb with the knife as he cut the bread, cursing under his breath and taking the bleeding them to his lips. 

"Are you alright?!"

"'m fine."

Again, Joel found himself so easily responding to what he thought to be a figment of his imagination, and he sighed in annoyance, looking around until he saw the culprit floating over to him with a concerned look on his face.

"I thought we discussed this last time, you're not real so you can't talk to me."

"Well clearly I am, considering I'm talking with you just fine. And might I remind you that we didn't actually discuss anything so much as you called me a hallucination and then fell asleep. Not really a discussion in my book."

"Whatever, crazy part of my brain."

"My name is Ray, Joel."

Joel spun around from buttering his bread to brandish the butter knife accusingly towards Ray.

"Ah ha! How would you know my name if you're not in my head?"

"Because I've been here since the landlord fucking brought you up, idiot. I heard him say it. He's a pretty nice dude actually, I remember him from when I was still here."

That was an odd enough statement to worry Joel a bit too much. Why would a hallucination make an offhand comment about the landlord like that. Trying to focus on his meal, he ignored Ray and finished setting up, pointedly plopping down on his couch and focusing wholey on the TV and not the 'ghost' floating just in the corner of his view. It got too much to bear after a while and finally Joel groaned in annoyance and looked at him.

"Alright, hallucination or not can you just sit down because wow, floating people are kind of a distraction."

Ray was a bit surprised at the outburst, but he did as he was told, floating over and sitting on the couch with Joel, seemingly more than happy to sit and watch TV with him. As they sat together, both were surprised at how comfortable it felt, both making little quips and comments here and there and laughing at the other. Joel felt a little embarrassed, still mostly sure Ray was a hallucination, but he wouldn't deny the company, at least for now.

\---

A few days later, once Joel was feeling a bit better and Ray seemed to disappear, he took the chance to talk to the landlord. The landlord, a kind older man by the name of Dave was in the lobby when Joel found him, striking up a conversation on his own.

"Joel! How goes the apartment, everything to your liking?"

The younger man chuckled nervously, always unused to such small talk and nodded a bit, fidgeting a little.

"It's nice, yes, though now that you ask I um, I've got a question. This might sound weird but, did anyone ever... die in that apartment?"

The carefree smile that had been on the landlord's face slipped instantly to a tight frown, seriousness taking over.

"Is there any reason in particular why you're asking? Is something wrong with the apartment? I just had one open up a floor above if you want to switch."

"Oh no no! It's... it's fine. I just thought I'd um, heard something about some young guy. Maybe I'm just paranoid..."

A bit relieved from Joel rejecting the offer to move, Dave settled down a bit and motioned for Joel to move closer.

"Well to tell you the truth, Joel, yes there was a death there. It took place about a decade ago though so I didn't really think it needed to be mentioned anymore. I still remember the tenant, this nice boy fresh out of high school. I believe his name was Ray."

"R-Ray?"

"Yeah, it was an unfortunate scene, a burglary gone wrong. Two men broke in and I guess they hadn't expected him to be home. They're both in jail now, thank god, serving time for their heinous crime. Of course we've bulked up considerably on security, so you've got no reason to worry."

"Right... thanks for the information."

Joel said his goodbyes, checking his mail before slowly making his way back upstairs, still processing the information that yes, it looked like he was rooming with a ghost.


	2. Chapter 2

"Okay so I believe you."

"Wait what? Are you talking to me?"

"Who else?"

Ray was a bit surprised at the quiet mumbling directed at him. It was late at night, Joel already snug in bed but apparently not asleep. Ray had been just lazily floating about the apartment and ended up in the bedroom, where Joel must've seen him come in. 

"Why do you believe me now?"

A quiet sigh came from the bed, Ray floating over and above Joel, the man turning to stare up at the somewhat seethrough figure above him.

"I talked to the landlord and he mentioned you when I asked if someone died here. I never knew that stuff before asking him, so you can't be a hallucination picking out little information I learned earlier. So I guess you're a ghost."

"Yep. I'm glad you finally believe me, it's nice to have someone to talk to after so long."

Joel made a quiet noise in response, turning onto his side and mumbling a little 'yeah me too' before falling asleep. When he awoke, Ray was gone again, as it often seemed to be.

\---

As weeks passed, the two involuntary roommates began to talk more and more, almost acting like actual roommates in how they'd spend time together just watching TV or talking. After much deliberation they agreed that Joel could only see him if he was feeling rather stressed, or very tired. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, Joel would sometimes be in a constant state of stress, sometimes being able to see Ray all day, but sometimes only as he tried to sleep.

But the time when they could spend together, they tried not to waste. Ray was incredibly grateful to have pretty much anyone to talk to, and he lucked out even more with it being Joel. When he could break away from being a walking ball of stress and nerves he was actually pretty charismatic. Ray could see why he could make a living acting when so many others struggled.

Slowly, at first without even realizing it, Joel started staying up later and later, his time with Ray lengthening a bit with each hour extra he abstained from sleep. He realized it when he fell asleep at a shoot, luckily he'd already done his lines. But waking up an hour later and finding himself still exhausted, he realized what he'd been doing unintentionally. From there, he continued doing it, after deciding he'd actually prefer to be up with Ray rather than get a full night's sleep.

Ray made him feel good. Comfortable. They laughed together like they were old friends, like they'd known each other all their lives. Joel had never felt so like himself with another person in the room, even with the few friends he did have. And when he did eventually have to fall asleep, and leave the apartment and Ray, he felt like a shell of himself. Like his soul stayed back and kept Ray company while his body just went through the motions of an average day.

He didn't like that. So sleep became even more scarce, Joel rarely sleeping at all at home anymore. He caught up with little cat naps at his various acting jobs, until he slept late in a trailer and got caught by the director. It didn't end well, and Ray could tell instantly when the other came home two hours earlier than usual and could see him instantly.

"Hey Ray."

Joel said with a sigh as he walked in, settling down on the couch and groaning quietly. Ray floated over, looking instantly concerned.

"You're home early. Did something happen?"

"Yeah, I uh, I got fired from one of my bit parts. Just one of those soaps, it's not a big deal."

"Sure it is! What did you do to get fired?! You're such a good actor."

Joel flushed a little, smiling at the compliment and shrugged.

"I was taking a little nap and I slept through one of my parts apparently."

Ray's eyes widened, for the first time realizing just how strange Joel's sleeping schedule had gotten.

"Wait! You haven't been sleeping here. Joel, you need to get enough sleep for work!"

"But an hour I sleep is an hour I don't spend with you!"

Ray frowned, arms crossing as he hovered over Joel.

"I don't care! From now on I'll only stick around until 10 pm, then you gotta go to sleep or I won't come back tomorrow!"

Joel looked a bit panicked, reaching for Ray but coming back with nothing, his hand slipping through the almost-transparent figure.

"Ray..."

"Promise me, Joel. Or I'll go find someone else to haunt so you can sleep as much as you like."

"...I promise."

\---

About a week into their new system Ray had a surprise visitor. Namely, a new ghost, who just happened to be checking out all of the apartments. After an intial misunderstanding, Ray found out that the other was named Michael, and they had a shocking amount of things in common. It was from hearing Michael's lamenting over falling for Dan that he realized he'd started to do the same thing with Joel.

Michael stayed for about a week before moving on to a new building, though he promised to visit when he could. Just as Ray was realizing his feelings for Joel, the other had been drowning in his own feelings for days. It wasn't enough to see Ray just a couple hours a day, not even close. Nothing felt right anymore if they weren't together, he was suddenly all too aware about how bland everyone and everything seemed to be.

He'd never been a fan of most thing to begin with, but even the things he had enjoyed before seemed to lose their appeal if he was alone. The loneliness that enveloped him most of his life without him noticing was finally taking its hold, Joel left in its chokehold.


	3. Chapter 3

Life sucked. Okay, perhaps not on a whole but for Joel Heyman at this very moment, it sucked hard. He'd never been one to enjoy the 'greater things' in life to begin with, his peculiarities and odd neuroses turning away most people when they got too close to him. Sure, he'd made a small circle of friends and he could act normal enough when at work, but without those two social groups he would be completely and utterly alone.

Or he would've been, before Ray floated into his life. Ray, the little ghost that popped up from seemingly nowhere whenever he was too stressed or too tired. A possible hallucination at first, and now his closest companion. Joel had never had someone accept all of him so readily as Ray did. Whether it was that the ghost truly liked him or simply latched on since he was the first to see him, Joel didn't know. He didn't care. He was more than happy to have Ray's affection any way the other wanted to convey it.

He never knew he could like someone so much, to not be annoyed by all the little mannerisms and quirks he usually couldn't stop himself from noticing about people and letting get to him. Ray was different, in a lot of ways. Joel loved him. It was when he wasn't able to see him that much anymore that Joel realized just how far his affection had gotten. Without Ray in the corner of his eye the world seemed as bleak as it once had been to him, perhaps even more so. 

But he had to keep on like this, what else could he do? ...What else could he do. Joel paused on that thought, sitting up a bit from hunching over his laptop, mind delving off into subjects he'd only considered once or twice as a teenager, when things had been rather low for him. Ray was a ghost. Sure, Joel could see him as he was, but he couldn't touch him. Couldn't hug him. Couldn't truly be with him. 

But what if he was a ghost too? Is that possible? Can ghosts see each other? Touch each other? If Joel... did that, could he really be with Ray? It wasn't as though there was much for him to enjoy in the living world. Sure, he still liked being able to play video games, and to act, and he could name a few more things he'd certainly miss. But to possibly have a chance at being with Ray on the same ethereal plane was seeming more and more tempting.

\---

A couple weeks later, Joel had made up his mind. A gun would take too long to get, and he didn't want to make such a mess. Pills apparently hurt a lot, so he decided the simplest way would be done with a rope. He bought it on the way home from work, finding out how to tie it online and did so before going back to the apartment, not wanting Ray to see. 

"I'm home Ray. I'm not feeling well today, so please don't bother me, okay?"

He called out to the emptiness of his apartment. He couldn't see Ray but knew the other could hear him. Going about his evening like it was the usual day, he waited until he got late enough that he noticed the other's presence, peeking in on him like a child from behind a wall.

"I see you Ray. I'm gonna head to bed early, please don't come in tonight. Alright?"

"Yeah. I hope you feel better, Joel."

"I will. Thanks."

Joel turned on the TV, setting it to a channel Ray wanted before walking into his bedroom. He pulled the rope out from under his shirt, taking a slow breath, his nerves prickling all over his skin. He got on the bed, the old frame quietly creaking from his weight, the noose tightly grasped in his hands. There was a fan and light above his bed, off of course, and he looped the rope around it carefully. He'd tested the weight a few days ago when he thought Ray was occupied with TV, finding it the only possible place he could do this.

With it in place, he stood there for a moment, staring at the noose in his hands. Was he really about to do this, just to be with Ray? There was no argument in his mind, absolutely he was. He was just slipping it over his head when Ray floated in through the door.

"Joel, sorry but could- WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Ray went into panic mode instantly, Joel freezing up and pulling the noose off, stumbling back a little and flopping onto the bed.

"N-Nothing! What do you want?!"

"That wasn't nothing! What the fuck are you doing, Joel! Why would you do that?!"

Joel went silent, sitting up and staring at his lap, legs crossed under him. He looked like a scolded child, his hands tightly clasped together, thumbs twiddling a bit. Ray sunk through the bed to try and meet Joel's eyes, looking angry and scared and confused all together.

"Joel. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about you."

"What?"

"You, Ray! You! I wanted to be there for you! Not like this, where I can't touch you or hold you, where I can't even fucking see you unless I'm tired or stressed. I want to be with you Ray, far more than I want to be alive."

Ray looked distressed and confused, pulling away a little, see-through hands brushing through his short hair, trying frantically to process the mess that was Joel's thoughts. It took him a few minutes before he could talk again, Joel still just sitting there, though he was looking at Ray now.

"Joel... Do you love me?"

"I do. I love you so much Ray, I'm sorry if I somehow-"

"Don't bother continuing, it's okay. I-I love you too. Even when I was alive, I can't remember meeting someone who interested me as much as you do. I can't remember ever getting so happy just to see someone before, let alone talk to them. But because I love you, I don't want to see you do this. I know, maybe, somehow it could mean that we could be together, but I don't want to risk it!"

"Risk?"

Joel looked a bit confused, Ray moved closer again, both locked with each other's eyes.

"Yeah. Did you ever think about that, Joel? What if you don't come back as a ghost? I don't know what other options there are but I can tell you this much, I've only met one other ghost the entire time I've been one, so I don't think it's that easy. I'd rather have you here and not be able to touch you over possibly losing you forever. Do you understand me?"

It was quiet for a moment, Joel clearly reflecting on what Ray said, before nodding slowly.

"I understand. I'm sorry Ray, I swear I won't try it again. I never even thought of the chance that I might not become a ghost too. I'd rather be with you like this over not at all."

\---

Weeks passed and their lives returned to as they were rather easily. Ray let him stay up a little later again so they could have more time together, though it meant he still got tired at work sometimes. Luckily the studio he worked at now was more than fine with it, so long as he napped between scenes he wasn't needed for. It became almost a little game, sending interns off to find where Joel was napping this time, the man finding odd spots to sleep in to keep away from the noise of his fellow actors and workers.

It was fine sometimes, but other times it took people almost half an hour just to find him. No one really questioned it though, not thinking it'd be a big deal. Until it was. It started from a beginners cooking show on the floor above. Something happened with the grease and a fire quickly grew out of control. One of the beginner guests tried to dump a cup of water on it, only spreading the flames. From there it was quickly blazing to a level even the fire extinguisher couldn't contain. People started evacuating slowly, a few people calling the fire department. Everyone was evacuated by word of mouth, the studio owners unable to use the fire alarm as water would pour down and only help to spread the grease fire.

Without an alarm to stir Joel, the man had been sleeping comfortably, tucked away in a small room on the second floor. He woke to himself coughing, shocked to open his eyes to billowing smoke seeping into his room. Ducking to the ground, he tried to cover his mouth, feeling his way to the door only to feel the inferno rampaging behind it. He grabbed for the doorknob, recoiling quickly as he burned his hand, realization setting in. This was it.

\---

Joel didn't come home that day. Ray didn't worry too much, sometimes Joel stayed out or went to a bar, he'd be back by morning. He wasn't. Another day passed, and then another. Now the worry set in. Joel had never been gone so long without at least popping in to explain himself. Ray tried to think back on where the man worked, having followed him a couple times when he first moved in because he was curious. 

Ray left the apartment reluctantly, slowly floating his way to where he believed the other worked. It took a little while, and when he reached the building, he froze in place, staring wide-eyed. There was tape sectioning it off, the building closed off. A news van was in front of it, a woman talking about a 'deadly fire' that happened four days ago and took the lives of one man, many others left with injuries. 

If Ray still had a heart it would've been racing, hurriedly floating into the charred remnants of the building, half of it still intact, but most of the inside covered with ash. Ray hurried through the building, panic swelling in him.

"Joel? Joel!"

He cried out, despite knowing how futile it'd be, rushing from room to room calling for him.

"...Ray?"

Ray stopped in his tracks, turning around to see Joel behind him. He looked almost just as he did when he left for work just a few days ago. The only difference was that his hair and clothes all seemed a bit singed at the tips. But more importantly, was the fact that Joel seemed to be floating over to him. 

"I-I'm so sorry. I swear I didn't mean to. I... I know it might sound awful but I'm so happy right now."

Joel looked like he could be crying had he any tears left, pulling Ray into his arms and hugging him tightly. It was soft, and shockingly warm, a sensation Ray didn't think he still could feel. He hugged back, quietly whimpering Joel's name into the man's neck, his body shaking, Joel's was too. The two stayed there for minutes, trembling in the other's hold, afraid that if they parted it would all disappear. Like it was some sort of cruel joke fate played on them. Eventually Joel pulled away a little and they knew it was true. 

Ray was dead, and now so was Joel. It would be okay.


End file.
